EnRoute to Layton Brothers
by RuAlf
Summary: Is everyone in Layton's family line suppose to be 'gentlemanly' perfect? Al didn't know that when he first arrived to his father's house
1. Chapter 1

En-Route to Layton Brothers

Summary: Is everyone in Layton's family line suppose to be 'gentlemanly' perfect? Al doesn't know that when he arrived to his father's home for the first time

Genre: Family

Character: Alfendi L. & Hershel L.

**I was supposed to continue my pokemon story and came up with this instead…after playing Layton Brothers: Mystery Room.**

**Al is probably the most complicated at the same time hilarious character I've ever seen. This opening is a little angst? I guess… **

**One more thing. We don't know who the professor married to make Al born. We could scratch out Claire –though I really like Layton and Claire- since she died after Unwound Future. I scratch out Emmy by my own initiative since she is…well, spoiler. So Al's mother remains anon!**

**Read and Enjoy**

PROLOGUE

It was raining.

There are not that many things to do when it is raining. For one certain individual though, it is the perfect time to muster up in his files and books with a teacup full with warm tea. One Hershel Layton is perhaps the only human in London who is not cuddling inside the warm bed and prayed for the storm to pass.

The sound of thunders signified that simple fact. It was no drizzle but the storm that the whole city is facing. The amount of water pouring already proved that no one sane would brave this kind of weather.

So it would be plainly bizarre to hear hasty knocks on his front door.

The knocks were swift, yet so fleeting that if he spoke at that moment, it would go unheard. Marking his page, he got up from his chair, stepping toward the door. After a few years, he stopped sleeping inside his office and moved to a small house just a few blocks down from the university. Living in one small house was clearly ease his house work. Especially with Rosa offering him her help to clean the room. He's thankful for the woman's help since he has almost no time to do so.

Turning the lock on his door, he pushed the knob and pulled it open. The harsh, cold wind greeted the professor with slabs of water to his face. Wiping his eyes, he barely heard soft cries in front of him. He looked down, keeping one hand on his top hat and other hand above his eyes to see. And there is a boy standing there, looking up at him with determined, but glossy eyes. As if he wanted to cry but his pride got in the way. The boy was thoroughly soaked and his eyes are puffy red. He just stayed there, staring at him, silently begged for shelter.

Without thinking, he pulled the boy in and shoved the door to a close. Dripping water, the boy just stood there, motionless, waiting for the other to make move first. So he kneeled beside him and smiled, "Hello, young one, do you need my help?" he said. The boy looked down, his eyes darted between the floor and his feet. "Do you want some warm tea? I'll put honey and milk so it won't be bitter" he cheerily added. The boy nodded slowly.

He ushered the boy to his sofa, ignoring the fact that he could drench the couch. Making his way to the kettle on his stove, he opened the cabinet. He should put some honey or milk to sweeten his tea whenever Luke came so he must've some. Retrieving a small bottle of milk and half-filled honey jar, he turned the stove on. The boy stayed silent while the tea came to a boil and milk and honey added considerably into the brown liquid, changing it to a slight light brown.

"Here you go…" he offered the boy a mug of the liquid. The boy silently received it, mumbling muted thanks and guzzled it down. He coughed almost immediately and his face turned red. Taking the mug out, he gave him the bottle of milk he had been holding –the leftover from the bottle of milk- that the boy took and downed with a massive gulp.

"Now, just drink it slowly, enjoy the warmth scent and sip. Don't gulp, but sip it gently" he gave him the mug again and the boy did just that, easily finishing the tea within seconds. He took the time observing the boy before him. The boy has burgundy hair, not entirely red not entirely purple, a lovely mixture of both. His eyes were puffy, but between the red streaks, he noticed the color of the bright sun in the orbs. His nose sticks out the most perhaps and he meant it in literal way.

Hesitantly, the boy pulled a letter out of his pocket. It's a bit damp, but not broken enough for the ink to fade away. He accepted the letter and began unfolding it. The boy just watched him from the side, fiddling with his thumb nervously.

_Dear Hershel,_

_Once you read this letter, then I presume you already met him. Don't make assumption first, Hershel, I know you're tempted to solve the puzzle that is the boy immediately. But patience is a virtue, dear and a gentleman knows when to have patience. First thing that I should clear up is that I never regret on leaving you on that day. You've become a great man. If there is a regret that I shall suffer from is the fact that I mustn't be by your side when you achieve all of that. I had to leave you because of the work that you're dealing with and the work that had yet to come for you. You have bright future, and even brighter if I didn't stay._

_Choosing that path was hurting me more than anything, Hershel, you should know. I know it hurt you too. But I also know you're a strong man and will be able to walk the path of life even without me nor the little life inside me. You probably was stressed that I unlocked a Super Hint for you, I should have let you tap somewhere in this letter for it, but I did not wish to make this more complex than it was supposed to be. I simply left you because I want you to chase your dream. And you succeeded didn't you? Congratulation to the great professor of the Academy! _

_The boy carries your name. Everyone in the resident loves that boy. His appearance never reminds me of you at all, Hershel, but his brilliant intelligence kept me from missing you fully. He fancies all the puzzles just like you. I've run out of puzzle for him to solve and he began searching for his own daily portion of thinking. And he was only five for goodness sake. They said that he is one extraordinary kid. I might agree to that for he had one extraordinary dad._

_You might ask me why the boy is there with you. Let's just simplified the reason and says that life goes on Hershel and so do I. I…move on…by the time you're reading this letter, I must've used my one way ticket to oblivion. This is my last wish Hershel, something that I can't accomplish by my own strength. Please take care of him. Please take care of Alfendi Layton._

_Yours Truly_

He was trembling when the letter finished. His eyes were glossy and if he blinked, he knew tears would flow from the corner of his eyes. The boy sat there, waiting for the adult to comprehend the whole letter. He realized that there's too much news that suddenly being shoved to the man and it took times for him to process it to his mind. Playing with a few strands of his red hair, he unconsciously hummed. The other blinked at him, a single tear rolled on his cheek.

He shouldn't be like this. Crying over the dead is normal. But to show weakness in front of a child who looked up to you as his guardian? That is a very big no in his dictionary. He wiped his eyes and placed both his hands to the boy's shoulder, causing him to stare at his beady eyes.

"Welcome home, Al…"

…

**It was supposed to be a one-shot, but I put prologue in the front so...it'll have another chapter**

**Urgh, if I put it that way…it sounded like I didn't like writing it at all did I? But I do like writing it and honestly, I've been longing to write one fic about Layton and there we have it! Just hope I have the will to continue it till the very end! **

**Till the next chapter, my friend…**

**nb: I suspect it will be a long time before I can post another update for this...**


	2. Chapter 2

EnRoute to Layton Brothers

**Here we have the next chapter of EnRoute…and I noticed a few mistakes I wrote in the previous prologue. First up is that Layton actually LIKES milk to be put inside his tea, so it's not weird to see bottle of milk inside his house. Next is that Alfendi once told Lucy that maybe she can meet with his BROTHER. I remembered it after I posted the prologue. And one little tiny thing: I just knew that Professor Layton and the Miracle Mask is NOT a movie but a game. Cheers to stupidity.**

1st Puzzle: Settling In

Moving in for little Alfendi is quite simple. He once did that when he was three, the day his mother had to leave her parent's house to live in another relatives house. Bring _all _your stuff there and sleep there. That's all it takes for him to call it home. But this time, the moving isn't as simple as he had thought before. Usually, he has three reasons to answer, "Why I can move without difficulties?"

First, he doesn't have many things. Second, he adapts quickly to any kind of environment. And the last one is that he has no friend to be missed.

But, this time, those reasons aren't mattered. What matters is one silly reason that he thought he shouldn't even have in the first place. This one reason is what prevented him to call this small house his home…yet.

"Here's your room" his father had said to introduce him to his new room since day one. It is neither a fancy room nor a disarray room. Clean and organized are two perfect words to describe the room. An organized bookshelf to the left –which he eyed with curiosity-, a small desk below the window frame along with a sturdy wooden chair. The bed lies to the right, pressed against the wall. A stuffed bear was on the pillow when they entered. It brought question to his head, but his father shrugged it off with clever choice of words –and his father offered him the doll in which he refused politely-.

A round carpet lies in the middle of the room –it looks soft- and an overhead fan set on the ceiling. Light blue curtain adorned the window frame, preventing full blast of light to pierce through the transparent glass.

Maybe he was staring for too long that his father asked him whether he hates the room or not. He nodded quickly and shyly mumbled another thanks. The settling inside the room is swift and in no time, his stuff was set inside as well. With his father's gone to his work, he was left with the house and the peculiar silent it gives him. It's not like he's not accustomed to silence. There's something different about the silent inside this house.

And his father pointed it out after his first day gone by with a straightforward question, "Do you hate this place?". Al wasn't sure how to answer that question. He does not hate the place per se, it's just…a quaint feeling of 'something' is there. And he soon realized what it was on the second night.

Spring rain has turned into storms just like it was two days ago, but it's worse than before. Thunders roaring, ferocious winds thumping onto the windows harshly. He tries his best to stay calm, yes, but he can't help but stifled a yelp every time the thunder struck. Curling up on the bed, he trembled. Usually, his mother will be there, hugging him tightly while soothing him with sweet lullaby until he fell asleep.

He realized why he felt that 'something'.

His mother…he missed his mother.

"Al…"

Yellow eyes fluttered open. His lips opened before he could stop himself as he called to the voice with creaky, quivering voice. "Mo…mom?" he whispered. His father stared at him, an anxious look passed his eyes before it was switched with that of understanding. He didn't have time to stutter out any words as his father pulled him into a hug. The similar warmth washed over him as he let the man patted his back, telling him that it's alright. Just like his mother would say…

Safe…he felt safe. His father didn't let go until he was calmed down completely. They both sat down in silence, he, nestled on his father's lap while the older man sat on the bed, stroking his hair in comforting manner. "Feels better?" his father asked, smiling. He nodded, giving a smile of his own as well. "Do you need anything else?" Hershel added. Al looked down to the bed sheet, awkwardly fiddling with the blanket, "Umm…there's one thing…" he sheepishly said. But…no, this is not his mother, so he shook his head, "Nah…I'm fine…"

His father gave him a wistful look, "Now, now, my boy, a gentleman knows better than to refuse an offer from a polite individual". The boy looked up almost instantly, blushes appeared on his cheeks.

"Can…can you sing for me?"

Hershel, of course, does not expect that at all. Yet, he could only complied. That look on Al's face. It's almost similar to that boy's…he plopped himself back to the bed, covering his son with the blanket and whistled some tune he used to hear when he was a child himself.

As Hershel left the room with a smile, he was proud that Al wore a similar smile as he slept.

…

**Now, I don't even know whether the story explains the summary or not…uhrm, anyway, the first chapter is done, yeah! Does anyone is waiting for Azran Legacy, too? Can't wait for that game!**

**Till then, everyone!**


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